It's very difficult to predict the future with any kind of accuracy, especially in the computer world, but I think that this article does a surprisingly poor job of it. The whole point of computers is that they are tools that we can use to accomplish other things. There seems to be a strong belief in the Linux community that the computer itself is the whole point, a kind of self-fulfilling effort. I don't mean this as a flame at all -- I'm just pointing out something that I see in this particular community.
The clear general trend, on the other hand -- from UNIX to DOS to early Mac and Windows to more recent Mac and Windows and eventually MacOS X -- seems to be towards more intuitive interfaces that require less and less specific computer knowledge. There will always be some people who need to know their computers inside and out, but the vast majority of people will want to spend all their time using their computers to accomplish specific tasks.
The article that discusses how the Linux community has embraced "anti-mac" interface elements seems to be a little one-sided. In most ways that Linux programs have evolved since 1996, Mac and even Windows programs have evolved similarly. MacOS X is really no different from KDE and other windows managers in terms of analogies used.
This topic is a little perplexing to me -- I cannot argue with the specific facts and examples given, but I don't think that the reasons or interpretations offered make any sense.
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It's very difficult to predict the future with any kind of accuracy, especially in the computer world, but I think that this article does a surprisingly poor job of it. The whole point of computers is that they are tools that we can use to accomplish other things. There seems to be a strong belief in the Linux community that the computer itself is the whole point, a kind of self-fulfilling effort. I don't mean this as a flame at all -- I'm just pointing out something that I see in this particular community.
The clear general trend, on the other hand -- from UNIX to DOS to early Mac and Windows to more recent Mac and Windows and eventually MacOS X -- seems to be towards more intuitive interfaces that require less and less specific computer knowledge. There will always be some people who need to know their computers inside and out, but the vast majority of people will want to spend all their time using their computers to accomplish specific tasks.
The article that discusses how the Linux community has embraced "anti-mac" interface elements seems to be a little one-sided. In most ways that Linux programs have evolved since 1996, Mac and even Windows programs have evolved similarly. MacOS X is really no different from KDE and other windows managers in terms of analogies used.
This topic is a little perplexing to me -- I cannot argue with the specific facts and examples given, but I don't think that the reasons or interpretations offered make any sense.
smm